February 20

February's almost over, people! How does that feel? Are you as excited as I am? February is hands down my least favorite month of the year, and I can't wait until this old bag is over and done with! While we're waiting for spring, we thought we might as well put our time to good use and get some work done improving The Dream Machine.

This month we've been looking into some problems people have been reporting regarding the save system. Previously you could encounter a bug if you named your save starting with certain characters. I'm happy to report that that's been fixed now.

There's also a more troubling issue, were the game doesn't seem to recognize the save files for some players. I still haven't found the root cause of this, but I've included a makeshift workaround in this update. It's a debug function that I've exposed in order to ensure that you can load your save game without loss of progress.

In order to access the new load feature, press SHIFT + L. It'll open an input field where you can paste the contents of any save file. On PC the game saves are stored in a folder called "saveGames". They can be opened with any kind of text editing software. So just copy the contents and paste them into the game. Obviously it's a temporary solution, but it'll allow you to load your saved games while I examine the issue further.

I've also removed the inventory size limit, which would prevent players from picking up more than 19 items. Right now, the items will be stored offscreen so you'll have to use some of the other items in order to see them, but at least you'll be able to pick everything up you want. It's obviously not a perfect solution, but we'll keep it for now since the problem only affected a very small number of players. I hope to be able to add an extra row to the inventory for the next months update.

Anyway, here's the full patch rundown:

• Engine: Fixed issue with save game names• Engine: Tried to fix issue with save game not being detected for some players• Engine: Added a text based loading option (SHIFT + L)• Engine: Fixed issue with the Autosave file not loading properly• Game: Allowed the inventory to extend beyond the boarder of the screen

As always, don't be shy if you see something strange or buggy in the game.

January 7

My-oh-my, how time flies when you're having all kinds of fun! We were so busy doing other stuff that we kind of slipped out of the habit of doing these updates regularly. Oh well. That's how it is sometimes. You can't do everything you want.

Anyway, we just pushed a small update live in order to address an issue some people are having with the game always being on top of other applications. Just hit the 'B' key. That should minimize the game down to the task bar.

UPDATE: I changed it to the 'B' key in order to avoid a key conflict. Sorry about the fuss.

Reviews

"To play something like The Dream Machine, so exquisitely constructed, so smartly designed, and so atmospherically unique, is a singular pleasure." - Rock, Paper, Shotgun

"It's so confidently strung together, both in terms of narrative and gameplay, that it's easy to forget that it's the work of just two indie developers."8/10 - Eurogamer

"A series filled with mystery and charm, elevated to lofty heights by its whimsical clay and cardboard design, surreal storyline, and heartfelt attention to detail."4/5 - Adventure Gamers

"The Dream Machine is the best adventure game that I've played in the last decade – and maybe in my entire life."9.5/10 - CD-Action

About This Game

The Dream Machine is an award-winning adventure game about dreams and voyeurism. It's built by hand using materials such as clay, cardboard and broccoli.

In Chapter 1 you play as Victor Neff, the husband in a young couple who've just moved into a new apartment. While trying to get settled in you discover that all is not as it seems in the quiet, unassuming apartment building...

In Chapter 2, Victor goes to confront the landlord, Mr. Morton, only to find his apartment empty. Can Victor find the elusive landlord in time and is there more to Mr. Morton than meets the eye?

Key Features

World: Explore a creepy apartment complex and uncover the mysteries within. Get to know your neighbors and discover their secrets.

Story: Delve into the minds of strangers and loved ones as you’re trying to save them from The Dream Machine.